STROBE Awards

Dr. Ryan Haaland, chair of the Fort Lewis College Department of Physics & Engineering, has led his department through a stunning period of growth and change. Student enrollment in the program has exploded over the last few years, and that increased interest will likely continue once the new Geosciences, Physics & Engineering (GPE) Hall, a facility which Dr. Haaland worked hard to make a reality, is completed in fall 2016.

Ryan Haaland is the chair and a professor of Physics and Engineering at Fort Lewis College. He joined the college in 2006 and has served as department chair since 2010. Dr. Haaland conducts research in upper atmospheric electricity, physics education and space situational awareness. For over a decade, he has studied high-speed optical measurements of electrical discharge phenomena in the upper atmosphere.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named 2,000 individuals as this year’s recipients of awards from the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

“The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is a vital part of our efforts to foster and promote excellence in U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics by recognizing talent broadly from across the nation,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, NSF assistant director for Education and Human Resources. “These awards are provided to individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements, and they are investments that will help propel this country’s future innovations and economic growth.”